Automatic type-casting machine.



27 I /M,% %wewp 6 No. 851,855. PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

L. B. BENTON. AUTOMATIC TYPE CASTING MACHINE;

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 5. 1904.

'III' ATTORNEYS.

LINN BOYD BENTON, OF NEW BRIGHTON, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TYPE-CASTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

:atented April 30, 1907.

Application filed October 5, 1904. Serial No. 227,206.

To all Lu/cont it nutty concern:

Be it known that I LINN Born BENTON a citizen of the United States, residing at New Brighton, New York, have invented certain automatic typecasting machines, and more particularly to such machines when they are used for casting type bearing italicized or back-slope letters, or, in other words, letters arranged at a slant to the body of the type. It is important and in many cases essential that certain portions of many such letters should project beyond the edge of their body and extend over the body of the contiguous type or types. It has been common in such cases to undercut such projecting portions, or, in other words, to cut away a portion of the metal from the lower surface thereof. This has numerous disadvantages, among which are, 1st, that these undercut projecting portions are very much weakened by the removal of material; and, 2nd, that in so undercut ting, the pressure caused by the shav- I ing or slicing is necessarily exerted on the underside of the projection, often resulting in the type face being bent upward or broken.

My invention does away with these and other disadvantages. It also makes it possible to turn out entirely by machinery perfeet italicized or back-slope letters projecting beyond the body of the type. In all previous work a varying amount of hand work or finishing has been necessary to produce a perfect type face.

In the accompai'iying drawings I have illustrated a construction embodying the preferred form of my invention, which is capable, however, of considerable variation, both in the construction and arrangement of parts. reference designate corresponding parts.

Referring to these drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the preferred form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a rear view of certain parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows in side elevation two type-faces as set up, and illustrating my invention; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 44, Fig. 1 F 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 55, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a top or plan view of the arrangement illustrated In these drawings similar letters of tail illustrating the position of a type with resp ct to the vise members or carriers.

Referring now to those drawings, I will first describe briefly certain parts which ar old and well known in type-casting machinery.

A designates a cross-head of any well known type which may be suitably actuated in any manner. As shown it forms part of a mold beam.

1) designates a plunger, commonly known in the type of machine represented as a body piece, adapted to carry the type from the mold upward'till its lower surface is flush with the upper surface of a table G commonly known as a cheek piece. This cheek piece extends to a vertical plate. which forms one side of a delivery chute F.

Connected to the mold beam or other suitable actuating device, is what may be called a carrier E, the outer edge of which is adapted to come into contact with the type as it rests supported by the body piece D, and move it along toward the right as the mold beam moves in that direction. t is customary to provide an opposing carrier X, which, when the carrier E is moving toward the left, moves with it until it is stopped in any suitable inanncr within a short distance of the right hand edge of the groove or passage through which the body piece D moves. As a result, these two carriers, by abutting against the right and left-hand edges of the type coact to form what is commonly called a type-vise, whiz 11 carries the type from the bodv piece 1) to the right until it rea hes the distharge channel F. Then some form of plunger B, commonly known in this art as a plate, automatically descends and forces the type down into the delivery chute or passage F.

Various forms of knives adapted for under-' cutting and for paring or trimming o'fl' undesirable roughnosses and projections due to various causes have been arranged intermediate the channels C and F. For example, II designates a pair of adjustable knives of a well known form known as rubbing knives, adapted to trim off or remove any burs or roughncsses, which may be formed at the edges of the type body adjacent the type face during the operation of casting, from what are the top and bottom sides of the type as it is then placed. As shown in Fig. 8 the type in Fig. 3 Fig. 7 is a detail view of a particu i projects slightlv beyond the vise members L a a u u l a" l u lar form of knife, and Fig. 8 1s a sectional de 1 and the knives H can therefore easily engage and remove the burs which are very narrow. Any knives suitable for any purpose similar to those above mentioned may be located on a machine embodying my invention at any desired point intermediate the channels C and F or similar channels. Preferably they will be arranged intermediate the channel F and the knives 202l hereinafter described. These knives H will preferably be so constructed, arranged and attached as to make it possible to remove one or both, or to move either the upper or lower or both temporarily to a position Where it will be out of any possible contact with the type.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 6 which illustrate a couple of type face constructed in accordance with my invention and set up, it will be noticed that a portion of the letter H and letter V projects in each instance beyond the edge of the body, and further that these projecting portions, although they have not been undercut, extend over the top surface of the contiguous body, and without contact with the same. As will be seen, this result is accomplished by the removal or omission of a portion of the shoulder 2 of the type. By shoulder I mean the top surface of the body of the type, on which top surface or shoulder the raised character rests. For convenience I shall hereafter refer to these removed or omitted portions of the shoulders as cuttings. These cuttings are usually made parallel to the stems of such letters as H and lower case ms. In other words the exterior upper edges 3 of the shoulder contiguous to the cutting should preferably be parallel or substantially parallel to the stem of such letters.

Of course in every font there are a number of letters, such as V, S, I/V, etc., regarding which you cannot say that their stem lines are parallel to those of such letters as H, N, P, etc. Even in Roman type where the stem lines of such letters as H are perpendicular, we find no strictly speaking perpendicular stem lines in such letters as W, etc. In other words, in every font we find a majority of letters such as H, which have their stem lines all parallel, and all at a given slant, which I shall for convenience call the font slant.

- Other letters, such as W, cannot strictly be said to have their stem lines parallel to the other stem lines or the font slant; but they are none the less arranged to accord with the same font slant. To put it differently, if the font slant of a given font is fifteen degrees from the perpendicular, not only will the slant of letters such as H be changed fifteen degrees from their inclination in a Roman or perpendicular font, but also will the slant of such letters as WV similarly be changed fifteen degrees from their inclination in a Roman or perpendicular font.

Referring back now to the specific cases illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings,

the edges in question or cutting lines 3 in the case of the H are clearly parallel or sub stantially parallel to the stem at of the letter H, and therefore parallel or substantially parallel to what I have already defined as the font slant. lines 3 are again parallel or substantially parallel to the font slant, although possibly they cannot with absolute accuracy be said to be parallel to any stem lines of the V for reasons above set forth. Although the cutting lines will preferably be arranged substantially parallel to the font slant, they may be arranged at any desired angle or inclination. These cuttings may be produced in any suitable way. For example, they may partially be cast out, as will be more fully hereinafter explained. Preferably, however, they will be produced by the action of properly constructed and arranged knives adapted to cut from the shoulder triangular portions.

In Fig. 1, 2, 1 and 5 I have illustrated devices adapted to produce the above result upon attaching the same to the well known form of type-casting machine herein above described. Of course the form and arrangement of knives and actuating devices may vary considerably. In fact, they may be varied to any extent to adapt them to any suitable type-casting machine.

Referring to the drawings and the construction shown therein, 10 designates a cam plate secured to a cross-head A. It may be secured in any suitable manner, but preferably to be capable of adjustment. As shown, this result is secured by providing the same with slots 11 through which pass set screws 12, which fit into threaded apertures in the cross-head A. Evidently by loosening these screws the cam plate may be adjusted to any position within the limit of movement allowed by the length of the slots, which may be varied at will; and it may, on the other hand, he held rigidly in position and set by tightening up the said screws. This cam plate 10 is shown as provided with a cam slot or cam race 13, which will be of suitable shape and form to cause a proper movement of the knives as herein after described.

14 designates a cam roller rigidly secured to a sliding block 15 which may be mounted in any way to be capable of a vertical movement. As shown, it is held in position and has its movement controlled by sideguides 16 and a securing plate 18.

Rigidly secured to the sliding block 15 is a knife plate 19 carrying a lower knife 20.

21 designates an upper knife secured to the knife plate 19, which plate is mounted in a slot 15 arranged in the sliding block 15, and vertically movable therein. Rotatably mounted in this upper knife plate 19 is a shaft 23 threaded through a portion thereof In the case of V the "cutting as shown, having its lower end passing through said upper knife plate and provided at the lower extremity with a pin or securing device 24. The threaded portion of this shaft 23 passes through an interiorly ihread ed aperture 15 in the sliding block 15, and extends upwardly through an aperture in and outside of the casing 25, which incloses the sliding block and other parts. Evidently by turning this shaft 23 in one direction or another the upper knife 19 and the upper knife 21 will be moved up and down to regulate its position with regard to the lower knife 20 and lower knife plate 19. This adjustment or regulation of the space between the cutting edges of the upper knife 21 and the lower knife 20 makes it possible to adapt these knives Ll) any size of type which is being cast.

Referring back now to the cam plate 10 with its slot or race 13, it is evident that as the cross-head moves toward the right in the drawings it will, at a predetermined point in its travel commence to force the cam roller 14 downward by the action of the inclined portion of the cam race 13, which will continue this downward movement of the cam roller for a certain period of time. The adjustable feature of the cam plate 10 already described makes it possible to regulate the exact point in the travel of the crosshead at which this downward movement will be started and the angle of inclination and extent of the inclined portion of the cam race or the limit of movement of the cross-head may be employed to regulate both the extent and speed of the downward movement of this cam roller. As the cam roller is rigidly connected to the sliding block 15 which carries the knives 20 and 21 which move with it, it is also evident therefore that the movement of the cross-head A and the position of the cam plate 10 thereon taken together wil. determine the exact point in the travel of the cross-head at which the knives will be moved down; second, that the angle of inclination of the cam race 13 will determine the rapidity with which the said knives are moved downward; and third, that either the extent of movement of the cross-head or the extent of the inclined portion of the cam race 13 will determine the extent of the downward movement of these knives. Of course it is my intention to arrange the position of these knives with regard to the cross-head A and the connections between the knives and the cross-head in such a manner that the knives in question will, at the proper point in the travel of the cross-head A, be brought into contact with the shoulder of the body of the type face to make the cuttings already referred to and that the angle of inclination of the inclined portion of the cam race 13 will be such as to cause the knives to descend at such a speed as to make these cuttings, or

in other words the cutting lines thereof sub stantially parallel to the font slant of the letters borne by the type which is being cast.

Evidently the cam plate 10 will be so adjustcd relatively to the carrier E or type-vise and so constructed, connected and arranged as to cause the knives 20 and 21 to commence, continue, and compl: a their action or removal of the cuttings during the passage of the type-face past these knives. As the cutting edges of both the upper and the lower knives descend simultaneously during the. cutting operation it is also evident that the upper knife will commence at the outer and upper edge of the shoulder and gradually increase the extent of its cutting, while the lower knife will, on the contrary, commence its cutting operation by removing a com paratively wide slice from the shoulder and gradually diminishing its out to produce a cut parallel to the upper cutting in substantially the form illustrated in Fig. 6.

It is impossible to east type so that the raised portions shall be squared. All such portions, whether letters or any other raised parts, are invariably beveled as they leave the mold. For example, the ends of the scr ifs are beveled and need to be squared. Similarly other raised portions will be improved if squared. For instance, if the cuttings are partially cast out, their edges or boundaries will be beveled, though preferably they will be squared in the tinished type-face. Consequently the knives 2t) and 21 will preferably be so constructed, connected and arranged as to square the ends of the serifs, the edges of any cuttings which may have been partially cast out, and may also square and leave substan tially parallel to the font slant any other raised or projecting portions which it is desired to cut in either or both of these ways. The adjustable character of the cam plate 10 with regard to the mold. beam and cross-head A provides a ready manner of accomplishing such results in the specific construction illustrated and described.

llvidently, if desired, the knives marked ll may be undenini ing l hides rather than rubbing knives; or s; ill additional knives maybe supplied at any suilaile point for any purpose adapted to supplement the work of the knives 2t) and 2.1. lhirlhermore the knives 20 and 21 may lie so constructed as sinndtaneously not only to remove .the "vutiings" from the shoulder of the type, lint also lo undercutprojecting portions. The. form of knife adapted for this dou le purpose is shown in a del ail view in Fig. 7, where it will be seen that the culling edge of the llade forms an angle less than a right angle with the front fat 0 of the llade instead of a right angle as shown in Fig. l.

As shown the casing or casting which. comprises the knives 20 and 21 and their ac &

tuating and connecting parts, is removably secured to a rigid part of the machine by the screws m, m. It may be secured in any suitable manner, but preferably will be detachable. of these knives 20 and 21 and all connecting and actuating parts, and the cam plate may be detached by removing the screws 12, 12. This allows of the ready turning of the machine into the ordinary form of type-cast ing machine for Roman type.

30 represents what may be called a combined compensating and automatic regulating device, comprising a shaft 31 rigidly secured by a threaded portion 3 1 or in any other suitable manner in the sliding block 15. Surrounding this shaft 31 is shown a spiral spring 32 engaging with an enlarged nut 30 on the upper end of the shaft and with the upper surface of the frame or casing 25. As the shaft 31 is vertically movable through an aperture in this casing 26, and as the spring 32 is normally under compression, it is evident that the tion of this spring will normally hold the cam roller 14 against the upper surface of the cam race 13. This arrangement makes the upper surface of the cam race the essential guide and controller for the operation of the cam roller. It also keeps the cam roller 14 constantly bearing firmly against the upper surface of the cam race 13 and further overcomes any tendency toward undue drawing or forcing of the knives and 21 downward, which might be caused, for example, by the downward pull or pressure thereon due to cutting, or rather changes in the degree of cutting, and consequent change in the extent of pull exerted on these knives. Of course it further obviates the possibility of any play of the cam roller 14 between the opposing walls of the cam race 13. p

36 designates what maybe called a pressure plate for taking care of any strains which might otherwise be brought to bear against the under surface of the cam plate 10 and tend to force its outer end upward. For example, the spring 32 constantly tends to pull the block 15, cam roller 14L and therefore the cam plate 10 upwart As the upper surface of the cam plate 10 is constantly met and opposed by this projecting pressure plate 36, which is arranged ah ove it, however, the cam plate 10 evidently will thereby be prevented from any undesired upward movement.

The tension of this spring 32 may he regulated at will by the screwing up or down of the nut which is interiorly threaded to correspond and coast with external threads 37 arranged on the upper end of the shaft 31.

As shown in Fig. 3 the cutting lines of the contiguous cuttings of two separate type faces when placed together preferably form two parallel lines separated by a slight distance. In other words, the cutting This permits the ready removal lines of the contiguous cuts on adjacent type faces, as there shown, do not form a continuous line or a continuation one of the other. Manifestly this is due to the fact that the cutting lines of two cuttings on the same type face continue past each other, or, as I shall call it, overlap. For example, in Fig. 3 the cutting line of the right hand cutting of the type face H extends sufliciently far downward or toward the bottom of the figure slightly to overlap the cutting line of the left hand side cutting of the same type face. Evidently in the particular construction of machine illustrated and described herein, this result would be produced by a proper adjustment and relative arrangement of the cam plate 10 and the knives 2021.

As we have already stated, the cam-plate 10 will be so adjusted relative to the carrier E, as to cause the knives 20 and 21 to perform their action of removal of cuttings through the passage of type-face past the said knives. To perform the result above stated, the parts above mentioned will be so adjusted as to cause the cutting action of the outer knife to commence at a point on the shoulder slightly nearer the forward edge of the type than the point at which the cutting action of the lower knife thereon ceases. In other words, these parts will be so adjusted as to cause the upper and lower knife each to make a cutting extending more than half the depth of the type-face, or at least to cause the combined cuttings to be of greater extent than the depth of the type-face. For example, the upper knife and the lower knife might each remove a cutting extending over fifty-one per cent. of the depth of the type-face, or the upper knife might remove the cutting extending over, say, forty-seven per cent, and the lower knife remove a cut ting extending over, say, fifty-five or fiftysix per cent. of the depth of the type-face. In either case the cutting lines will overlap, as above described, to produce the desired result.

In Fig. 3 the upper knife has removed a cutting exceeding over approximately fortyseven per cent, and the lower knife for cutting extending over approximately fifty-five per cent. of the depth of the type-face.

By using knives arranged and adjusted as shown in Fig. 1, the upper knife will commence its cutting operation slightly in advance of the completion of the work by the lower knife, and the lower knife will continue its cutting shortly after the upper knife has commenced its operation. This is due to the fact that the cutting edge of the upper knife at the inner end of the device projects slightly beyond or slightly further inward than does that of the inner edge of the lower knife, and the outer edge of the lower knife is arranged slightly further outward than the outer edge of the upper knife. This ar- ICC IIO

rangement is illustrated in Fig. 2-. Of course, the extent of this overlapping may be varied. WVhether the extent be small or greater, however, it results in insuring a certain clearance and preventing the possibility of the letters on adjacent type faces coming into contact with each other or with the shoulder upon which the other rests. Obviously, the greater the overlapping correspondingly greater will be the clearance.

that I claim as new is 1. In a type-casting machine, the combination with a mold and a delivery passage, of means arranged intermediate the same adapted to remove angular cuttings from the shoulder of the type.

2. In a type-casting machine, the combination with a mold, a cheek piece and means for delivering type to one end of said cheek piece, carrying it to the other end thereof and discharging it into a delivery passage, of means arranged intermediate the ends of said cheek piece adapted to remove angular cuttings from the shoulder of the type.

3. In a type-casting machine, the combi nation with a mold, a body piece, a typevise, a check piece and a delivery passage, of means arranged intermediate the ends of said cheek piece and controlled and actuated by the movement of the type-vise, and adapted to remove angular cuttings from the shoulders of the type as it passes along said check piece.

4:. In a type-casting machine, the combination with a mold and a delivery passage, of me ans arranged intermediate the same adapted to remove angular cuttings from the shoulders of the type, which cuttings will have their cutting lines substantially parallel to the font slant.

5. In a type-casting machine, the combination with a mold, a delivery passage and means for conveying type from the mold to the delivery passage, of means arranged intermediate the mold and delivery passage and adapted to remove angular cuttings from the shoulders of the typethe last mentioned means being actuated and controlled by the same actuating means which produces and controls the aforesaid movement of the type.

6. In a type-casting machine, the combination with knives adapted to remove angular cuttings from the shoulder of the type, of means for adjusting one of said knives relatively to the other.

7. In a type-casting machine, knives adapted to remove angular cuttings from the shoulder of the type, and adapted to be detached at will.

8. In a machine for manufacturing type, the combination of a support for the type, means for feeding said type along said support, and knives arranged in the path of travel of said type and adapted to remove angular cuttings from the shoulders of the type as they are fed past said knives.

t). In a machine for manufacturing type, the combination of a support for the type,

- means for feeding said type along said support, and knives arranged in the path of travel of said type and adapted at once to re move angglar cuttings from the shoulders and to rndercr t projecting portions of the type as they are fed past said knives.

10. In a machine for manufacturing type, the combination with a knife, of means for feeding the type past the knives to bring a portion of the shoulder of the type into contact with the cutting edges of the knife.

11. In a machine for mannfactiiring type, the combination with two oppositely arranged knives having their cutting edges separated by a space, of means for feeding type faces past the knives to bring portions of the shoulder of the type faces arranged on opposite edges of the shoulders into contact with the cutting edges of the knives.

12. In a i'nachine for manufacturing type, the combination of a knife, means for vertically reciprocating said knife and means for feeding a type past said knife to bring a portion of its shoulder into contact with the cutting edge of the knife and during the vertical movement thereof.

13. In a machine for manufacturing type, the combination of two knives oppositely arranged and separated by a space, means for varying said space, means for vertically reciprocating said. knives, and means for feeding type past said knivesin a substantially horizontal direction to bring portions of the shoulders thereof into contact with the cutting edges of the knives.

14. In a type casting machine, thecombination of a table, vertically movable knives, a cam roller rigidly connected and movable with said knives, a cam plate provided with a cam race adapted by its movement to reeiprocate said roller and knives, and means for moving said cam plate and simultaneously moving a type over the table past said knives.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LINN BOYD BICYTON.

Witnesses.

HENRY KOHLMEYER, M. F. BENTON. 

